# Are my tomato plants on death row? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 16, 2013, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-my-tomato-plants-on-death-row/658508 "2013-05-16T13:48:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-my-tomato-plants-on-death-row/658508/1 "2013-05-16T13:48:10Z")
I think I planted too early. We had a couple of cool nights, temps down to 36-40-ish. I covered the plants over each night, but they aren’t looking too good now. The distal half of most of the leaves are brown. The cool weather was a couple of nights ago. Will they recover? If the leaves do green up, does that necessarily mean they will be fruitful and multiply? Or should I yank them out and start anew? Thanks! mmm ---
**Author:** ![KermitTheFrig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/47e85d/32.png) [@KermitTheFrig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KermitTheFrig)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-my-tomato-plants-on-death-row/658508/2 "2013-05-16T17:10:45Z")
Where are you, MMM? Here in eastern Massachusetts the rule was not to put the tomatoes out until Memorial Day. If the leaves stay green and new ones grow, you’ll be okay. You really should check to see what your area’s average last frost date is for future reference. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-my-tomato-plants-on-death-row/658508/3 "2013-05-16T18:08:09Z")
> [@KermitTheFrig](#): > > Where are you, MMM? Here in eastern Massachusetts the rule was not to put the tomatoes out until Memorial Day. > > If the leaves stay green and new ones grow, you’ll be okay. > > You really should check to see what your area’s average last frost date is for future reference. I did check, I planted a week after the average frost date. I guess that’s why they call it the _average_, rather than the _absolute_, last frost date. 🙂 If the brown parts stay brown, I’ll remove and re-plant. I’m curious, though, as to whether it is likely (or possible) for them to get green again but produce no crop. Thanks, mmm ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-my-tomato-plants-on-death-row/658508/4 "2013-05-16T19:02:26Z")
If the plants start setting out new leaves at the tops/ends of each branch, it might recover. But they might not set fruit, having dedicated most of the summer to using its resources to make new foilage instead of dedicating resources to reproduction. I say keep watering and see how it goes, but also, go pick up a few more new plants so you’ll still get some tomatoes. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-my-tomato-plants-on-death-row/658508/5 "2013-05-16T19:42:17Z")
It’s early in the season; some browned distal leaf halves aren’t necessarily going to mean significant stunting/doom, unless the plants sit there without growing much over the next few weeks. If these are decent-sized plants you don’t want to replace, I’d stick with them unless it becomes obvious they are doing poorly. On the other hand, if they’re small plants out of plastic packs, it might be worthwhile to buy cheap replacements and plant them. The best plant covers for cold weather in my opinion are the lightweight frost blankets designed for the purpose. They’re supposed to be effective for a few degrees of frost, and in my experience do a good job down to at least 34F or so. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-my-tomato-plants-on-death-row/658508/6 "2013-05-16T19:47:45Z")
I’d plant a few more. They are cheap and why risk plants they may not bear fruit? You don’t need to dig up the damaged ones unless theres limited room. Give them a chance at least to recover. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-my-tomato-plants-on-death-row/658508/7 "2013-05-16T21:24:30Z")
Thanks, everyone. I’ll give them another week or so and see how (if) they develop. Space is limited, though, and I don’t want to end up with nary a tomato. FWIW I used plastic buckets to cover them, on in the evening, off in the morning. mmm ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-my-tomato-plants-on-death-row/658508/8 "2013-05-16T21:37:56Z")
Clip off the dead parts and hope for the best. Plant a couple more, just to be safe. I planted mine yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-my-tomato-plants-on-death-row/658508/9 "2013-05-17T18:16:31Z")
This early on I would replace them. Even seeds planted in the next few weeks will do well, and surpass what damaged plants will produce. The season is early. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-my-tomato-plants-on-death-row/658508/10 "2013-05-22T21:29:32Z")
Update: Ended up yanking about half of the plants, planted four bigger and healthier replacements. The five original plants I kept do seem to be perking up, however; I’m thinking they might make it after all.\* mmm \*'cause, you know, love is all around ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-my-tomato-plants-on-death-row/658508/11 "2013-05-23T03:01:02Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Update: Ended up yanking about half of the plants, planted four bigger and healthier replacements. The five original plants I kept do seem to be perking up, however; I’m thinking they might make it after all.\* > mmm > \*'cause, you know, love is all around I’m envisioning them twirling around in the middle of a busy city street, throwing their blossoms high in the air. They’ve got spunk. I hate spunk. StG